Vanderbilt overcame a slow start in the opening round of the Memphis Intercollegiate at the Colonial Country Club’s South Course, the Commodores responded with the tournament’s best second round to end the first day of competition in a tie for third with a team score of 599 (311-288). VU is tied with Memphis for third, and trails first-place Kennesaw State by six strokes heading into the final 18 holes on Tuesday.

Senior Adam Hofmann is Vanderbilt’s leading scorer heading into the final round, posting a 36-hole total of 148 (80-68) and is in a tie for ninth. Freshman Hunter Stewart is tied for 14th with a score of 150 (74-76), sophomore Charlie Ewing is tied for 21st with a 151 (80-71), senior Trey DelGreco shot a 155 (82-73) and is tied for 36th, and junior Will Snipes is in a tie for 44th with a total of 157 (77-80).

After posting the fourth-worst first round of the tournament with a 311, the Commodores counted Hofmann’s 68, one of only two rounds in the 60’s for the entire day, Ewing’s 71, DelGreco’s 73, and Stewart’s 76 in the second round to card the tournament’s best second round.

“We played as bad in the first round as we played well in the second round,” said Vanderbilt head coach Tom Shaw. “But, also like at Arkansas State, we rebounded and put ourselves in the thick of things. The greens are the firmest and the fastest I’ve seen, so your precision when hitting to the tough pin placements is more important than ever.

“Our guys are excited to go and put up a good score on Tuesday and do some special things.”

Individually, Nicklaus Benton of Arkansas-Little Rock leads the tournament with the only under-par score. Benton stands at one-under par, and leads Ben Greene of Kennesaw State and Ryan Mason of Akron by one stroke heading into Tuesday.

The Commodores tee off at 8:45 a.m. off of the first tee of the par-72, 7,334-yard South Course.